Florida gymnastics on the rise

TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama and the University of Florida have both carried top 10 national rankings the last 18 times the two teams have met in a gymnastics meet.

But the pecking order may be changing.Alabama clearly had the upper hand on its Southeastern Conference rival for more than two decades, with four national championships and five SEC titles. Florida has never won a national championship, but the Gators won last year's SEC Championship meet, held the No. 1 ranking for all but one week during the regular season and defeated the Crimson Tide three times in as many meetings.Third-ranked Florida has a chance to further enhance its standing in the conference and nation when it visits No. 5 Alabama on Friday at Coleman Coliseum. The Gators haven't won a dual meet on Alabama's floor since 1979.'I go back to the '80s, the University of Florida was one of the most competitive teams in the country,' Alabama coach Sarah Patterson said. 'They were at that point earlier on and maybe slipped a little bit.'Then along came Rhonda Faehn, who was hired six seasons ago to catapult Florida into national championship contention.'When they made the coaching change the program was in the top 12 or so in the country,' Patterson said. 'I think it was apparent to those of us in gymnastics, at least in my eyes it was apparent, there was a change made to compete for a national championship. That has played out for the last five years.'Faehn agreed.'Florida was known as, ‘Sure they can maybe make the nationals and they'll finish somewhere between six and 12, or maybe they can be fifth or sixth,'' she said. 'I think it was important last year for us to have the undefeated season going into nationals and to win the SEC. I think that helped everyone say, ‘Florida can do this.' It's only recently that's been possible.'Now the Gators are on the verge of being regarded as one of the elite programs in the sport. While only Alabama, Georgia, Utah and UCLA have ever won NCAA gymnastics titles, the Gators finished third last season and have posted the highest score in the nation this season, a 197.925 in a victory over LSU.'That was a great look into the future,' Faehn said of the high score. 'This is what we're capable of doing.'Florida has two individuals ranked in the top 12 in the all-around, with Corey Hartung ninth and Ashley Reed 12th. Citing an injury that has kept two-time Olympic silver medalist Terin Humphrey out of the lineup in half of Alabama's meets and other injuries that have some UA gymnasts limited, Patterson concedes that the Gators may have a more formidable lineup.'Some teams have more talent than others and due to some circumstances beyond our control our talent isn't at the numbers that some of the institutions are,' she said. 'We're doing everything we possibly can.'My job, and the thought I've always had is you always handle the cards that you're dealt. I'm an optimist. I know in sheer numbers of talented athletes we're down. Whatever I have I'm going to make the best out of it I can.' Both Alabama and Florida come into the meet with one loss -- both fell to three-time defending national champion Georgia. 'On any given night the conference is so strong ... I don't think anybody can afford an off night,' Patterson said. 'I truly think that anybody in the conference can beat you.'